La Vaquera Princesa
by lemnlime
Summary: WA1, 3 years post-game. Time has changed and matured the 3 heroes of Filgaia. When Cecilia finds out that Rudy has been hiding a secret, illiteracy, she offers to tutor him. Over time, their friendship will grow...and maybe more?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is based on WA1, not ACF (which I haven't played), but from what I've read, the differences in the story between the two are minimal anyway. My story treats Filgaia as if it's one kingdom among many in the world (rather than as the world itself). Also, the LOZ reference was based on a doll that actually is in Cecilia's room, so it wasn't thrown in gratuitously. I just had to write this fanfic after playing the game again b/c I love the music, scenario, and of course all the wonderful characters of this game. Title translates to "The Princess Cowgirl" in case you were wondering.

* * *

Three years had passed since the trio of heroes had rescued Filgaia from disaster by defeating Zeikfried and Motherfried in Malduke. As Cecilia had vowed, the three continued to travel, slaying any remaining monsters they could find in Filgaia and doing their best to repair the vast wastelands back to their lush former glory. They still traversed the sea and air when necessary, but by land they now traveled via horseback since they no longer had the assistance of the Earth Golem which had sacrificed itself to save the heroes. Everywhere the three traveled, they planted seeds, trees and taught people in remote villages like Baskar about sustainable crop-growing techniques. Cecilia and other shamans cast restoration spells on the land. Their impact was miniscule at first, but with the combined efforts of other Dream Chasers over the years, there was a noticeable change emerging over the landscape. The only thing Cecilia regretted is that the villagers at Surf were not able to look past Rudy's use of the forbidden technology, the ARMs, no matter how much the trio tried to change the villagers' minds. Cecilia didn't lose hope that eventually they would come to reason.

Even though she said they would travel together forever, Cecilia had matured and changed enough that she now felt the need to return to Adelhyde and assume the leadership activities which Minister Johan had covered in her absence. Jack and Rudy would continue adventuring without her. Although it was incredibly painful to separate from them after having spent three continuous years together, she knew she didn't need to say goodbye but just that she would see them later.

Cecilia used to loathe her title of "Princess" because she thought people only saw her for her high status and power and not as a normal, everyday person, so she used to hide that identity from others for as long as she could. She hated being given everything she could ever want or need on a silver platter when she knew that there were people in near inescapable poverty elsewhere in the world. But she now admired the title of "Princess" for the unique opportunity it gave her to be an ambassador of Adelhyde. It allowed her more power to influence others and enlist their help in the restoration of Filgaia. Rudy had taught her that to be loved, you must love others first, so Cecilia made certain she demonstrated care and compassion with everyone she met, but especially those who were most unfortunate or underprivileged. In turn, she became respected and admired around Filgaia as a benevolent and humble ruler.

Cecilia was relieved to know that resuming her duties as princess would not bar her from continuing to travel the land as an ambassador to other kingdoms. Her adventurous spirit would be satisfied by these occasional journeys, and the side of her that wished to better her kingdom would also be appeased. Cecilia felt so fortunate to have been born a princess in a kingdom that allows so much freedom to it's royalty. She knew that other kingdoms exist which force royalty to sit on the throne for nearly their entire lives. She could not imagine living such a painfully cloistered existence, akin to a bird having it's wings clipped.

* * *

Several months after she returned to leadership duties, Cecilia sent letters to Jack and Rudy. She wanted to invite them to the annual fair that had finally resumed now that the restoration of Adelhyde from the fire so many years ago was complete. She knew more than likely that the two of them would still be traveling together, but she sent each of them a letter just in case they had parted ways. She received a reply from Jack a week before the fair that read:

_Dear Princess,_

_ I regret not being able to return to Adelhyde right now. I got bored traveling through the same old places we've been to 100 times before, so I'm already heading south to explore some of the kingdoms outside of Filgaia. Rudy didn't want to go with me so he's already gone off adventuring somewhere else. Hopefully you sent him a letter because I don't know where he might be by now. I promise I'll tell you all about my explorations the next time I see you-but I can't guarantee I'll be back anytime soon! Take care!_

_ Your pal,_

_ Jack Van Burace_

_ Short and to the point as always_, Cecilia thought. _Ah well, I still have yet to hear from Rudy. I hope he will come, at least._

But the day of the fair was quickly approaching and she still hadn't seen nor heard word from him. She assumed the Filgaian postal service wasn't able to locate him, a common problem when trying to track down elusive Dream Chasers. Cecilia ended up going to the fair with her good friend and all-around tech guru, the raven-haired Emma. Although Cecilia missed Jack and Rudy's presence dearly, Emma kept the princess from feeling lonely. They quite enjoyed their time at the fair as well as mingling with the townspeople.

The next afternoon, Cecilia was resting in her chambers in the castle when she heard a knock on her door. "Pardon me, Princess, but you have a visitor," a strong voice pronounced through the door.

She recognized the voice as that of Demetri, one of the castle's guards who was not yet a knight. When Cecilia was younger, she had taken the castle workers for granted, but now that she had learned compassion, she respected all of them for their hard work and dedication, making sure to compliment them for their service on a regular basis. The least she could do was learn their names, because Cecilia knew from her own experience how dehumanizing it was to be referred to by one's title all the time, even if it was merely a sign of respect in this kingdom.

Cecilia wasn't expecting any visitors, so this came as a surprise. She opened the door to face Demetri, who said, "I understand you may wish to have privacy with this guest, so I will be around the corner if you require my assistance."

"Thank you, Demetri," Cecilia said, tipping her head to him. It wasn't too uncommon for her to have a guest she would want privacy with, but she still wondered who it would be. As the guard turned to leave, Cecilia's guest walked slowly to the doorframe. A certain blue-haired Dream Chaser stood before her.

"Rudy!" Cecilia shouted gleefully, pouncing on him to give him an overly exuberant, almost suffocating hug. She was too excited to notice how hard she was squeezing. She couldn't help smiling from ear to ear at the sight of him. Finally when she let him go, Rudy exhaled deeply to catch his breath. Even though she had only noticed it incrementally due to being his constant companion over the past few years, he was even more handsome than he was when they first met, when he was just a boy of 15 and a lonely outcast. He was now a more mature, street-savvy, battle-hardened person. But one thing that hadn't changed was his ensemble, which proved yet again that Dream Chasers didn't care much for fashion. He was still wearing the same basic threads he had worn almost everyday of their adventures, albeit replacing them whenever they were too torn or dirty (which was a high threshold to meet for Dream Chasers that were used to being covered in dirt). Cecilia noticed that he wore a red vest, plain white t-shirt with the sleeves torn at the edges, jeans covered in trail dust, tall boots (a comfortable, durable pair is a must-have for any adventurer), and of course that silly red bandana he always wore around his forehead. He also perenially seemed to have a small bandage or two somewhere on his face, owing to a bit of carelessness in battle from time to time.

She couldn't really complain about Rudy's lack of clothing variety, though, because Cecilia herself had worn mostly the same style of clothing throughout their whole adventure. Now that she was assuming the role of Adelhyde's leader, she had to keep up appearances, but she would switch back to her more comfortable adventuring outfit at a moment's notice if she could. She had kept her blonde hair short since she liked it better this way and wore it with a ribbon tied in the back. She also shunned flashy, expensive dresses made in far-off lands in favor of modest, inexpensive ones made by local tailors.

It was clear that Rudy hadn't shaved in a while since he had stubble on his face. He had almost never forgotten to shave a single day for as long as she knew him (even though it was a bit inconvenient to do so at the makeshift camps they set up in the wilderness), so she knew this meant he must have been in a real rush returning to Adlehyde. "I am _so _glad to see you again, and to see you safe!" Cecilia exclaimed. "I can't help but worry about you and Jack, especially when you're out there riding solo. But, why weren't you here yesterday? The fair was only one day. I mean, I know the mail service is slow at times, and you Dream Chasers are pretty hard to track down, but..."

Cecilia trailed off as she noticed Rudy staring off to the side at the floor. He was too timid to even look at her at that moment because to explain why he was late was to tell her a secret he wasn't prepared to disclose to anyone, not even a close friend. But he mustered up the courage to do it anyway.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, still looking at the floor. "I had to find someone who could read the letter for me..."

Cecilia didn't understand what he was trying to say at first, but then it dawned on her. "Oh, Rudy. That's _nothing _to be ashamed of." She placed a hand on his shoulder and continued speaking in a comforting tone. "Considering the circumstances you grew up under, it's completely understandable. The education system is something else about Filgaia that I need to reform, but for the present time, I want to help you." She contemplated for a few moments, then said, "If you're open to it, I would like to tutor you."

She waited for Rudy's response, and after a few seconds' thought, he looked at her and nodded his head up and down. "I don't want to be a burden to you, though," Rudy said earnestly.

"No, you absolutely won't be! In fact, I am quite looking forward to our time together." Rudy smiled at this. "I can have a room prepared for you in the castle. Of course, you have to realize that this means no adventuring for you for a little while...can you handle that?"

Without hesitation, Rudy said yes. They made arrangements to meet at a certain time every day. Since Adelhyde did not have a dedicated library (another issue Cecilia was aiming to correct in the near future), she would tutor him at the desk in her chambers where she had many shelves of books. _How had I not realized all this time that Rudy couldn't read? _Cecilia wondered_. I know he grew up in a small village that doesn't have a school nearby and so, without any parents or caretakers for much of his life, his entire formal education may very well have been forgotten. _But as she thought about it more, she was ashamed to admit to herself that she and Jack had done most of the talking (and thus also the reading) for Rudy, never giving him much chance to use his own voice. She was almost sure that his reluctance to speak was a side effect of his illiteracy. _Oh no_, she worried. _He was probably bullied for this as a child, along with being bullied for his possession of an ARM...I really hope that Rudy will start to come out of his shell a little more as he gains confidence, and hopefully some of that confidence will come to him once he learns to read._

* * *

Cecilia was quite proud of the progress Rudy was making. Anytime he started to get frustrated and feel that this study might be a waste of their time, she reassured him that eventually it would all come together and he could soon read more and more complex books. Cecilia assured him that he could learn almost anything he wanted to know from books, so learning to read was one of the most important things he could do for himself, even as an adventurer.

One day after a study session, Rudy noticed the doll clad in strange green clothing on the bookshelf next to her bed. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?" Cecilia smiled, thinking about the history behind it. "It's been in my family for longer than I can remember. The doll represents a legendary hero from a distant kingdom who supposedly accomplished feats even more unbelievable than we did and against even greater odds...at least, if the stories my father told me as a child are true. I think the kingdom was called Hyrule, or something like that." Rudy simply nodded, in awe of the incredible things that a person can achieve for the sake of protecting others. _Will someone memorialize us one day?_ he wondered.

* * *

On a beautiful sunny day in Adlehyde, with seagulls dotting the sky and a warm west wind blowing, Cecilia and Rudy took a walk. They could hear the faint sound of children playing and laughing in the distance, a calming sound to Cecilia that helped her forget the distressing memories of Adelhyde in flames. She chose a path on the outskirts of the castle town that, with any luck, would prevent them from being thronged by townspeople so that they could talk uninterrupted. Cecilia hadn't had a chance to discuss much with Rudy over the years she'd known him since she could rarely get a good conversation started with the man of few words, but now that he had more self-confidence, he really was starting to open up to her and to other people, much to Cecilia's happiness. This would mark the first time they had an engaging conversation with each other.

With much concern in her voice, Cecilia said, "I've been meaning to ask you this, Rudy, but how are you faring out there on your own? Have you met any new travel companions? I hope you always carry a lot of heal berries with you if you aren't traveling with a healer. I have some ambrosia, goat dolls and other provisions if you need them."

"No, thanks. I have more than enough for my saddlebags. I'm doing fine traveling on my own right now," Rudy replied.

"What about your horse? Does it need any care?"

"No. It's doing fine."

"Alright." She paused for a few moments, hoping Rudy would ask her a question. Eventually, she looked up at the sky and said, "I wonder what Jack's up to. Since he went so far away, I really am worried for him."

"Don't be. You know he can find his way out of any bad situation," Rudy said, almost a little smugly.

"I'm sure you're right, but I just can't help but be worried about the friends I've grown so close to. I can't tell you enough how happy it makes me to have you here with me."

"Yeah, I've heard that a few times," he chuckled. "Likewise."

"So what was your old man, Zepet, like...if you don't mind me asking? He must have really been somethin' to raise as wonderful a person as you."

This made Rudy blush a bit. "Ah, well..." He raised his hand to the back of his head and scratched, a nervous tic of his, then cleared his throat before continuing. "Even though he was so busy that he never had the chance to sit down and teach me how to read, he taught me so many other valuable things. He showed me how to be compassionate to others, and he made me realize that I am more than just a weapon. When he died...I thought at the time that it was the end of my world, " he said with remorse. Cecilia tried not to act shocked, but she couldn't believe that he had just spoken more words continuously than he ever had around her. She knew simply from how often Rudy visited Zepet's grave that the man must have meant a lot ot him, even as a foster father.

"Wow, he certainly was a virtuous person," Cecilia replied with admiration. "My father was a very good role model for me also. I feel very fortunate for the people I've met in my life and the opportunities I've been given. Filgaia is definitely a place worth protecting." Rudy nodded in agreement.

"Have you been able to travel much recently?" Rudy asked softly.

Cecilia was glad that he was taking an interest in her affairs. "Not as often as before, of course, but they do let me out of the castle once in a while," she said jokingly. "So what plans do you have for the future? Gonna stay a Dream Chaser all your life? Or until you're too old and wrinkled, at least?" Cecilia asked, playfully nudging his shoulder.

"I don't have any plans of stopping anytime soon, seeing how there's still so much work on Filgaia left to be done. Unless, well...um, nevermind." Rudy looked down at the ground, dejected.

"Unless what?" Cecilia wasn't trying to pry, so she asked in a courteous way.

After a long pause while Rudy gathered his thoughts, he said in a somber tone, "Unless I had a family and a place to call home...but that's not very likely to happen, anyway."

"Rudy!" she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks and turning him to face her. "Don't talk like that! Adelhyde welcomes you as your home now. I'm sorry that we weren't able to make the people in Surf see how amazing a person you are, but that's their loss and our gain. We are more than happy to have you right here." She pointed to the ground for emphasis. "And as for your family...every friend you've ever made is your family. You have one of the biggest families in all of Filgaia! We'll do anything we can to make you happy. Just let us know when you're feeling down and we'll be there for you." She embraced him (luckily for Rudy, it was not so tight this time that it was suffocating) and they held on to each other for several moments before letting go.

"I hope I was able to cheer you up, Rudy," Cecilia said in a sweet voice.

Rudy wanted so much to tell her what he has really thinking, but as he had done all those times before, he suppressed the urge. "Of course you did. You never fail at that," he replied sincerely.

They both smiled at each other before Cecilia announced, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. Wanna go see what's for dinner?" Ruddy nodded, and they walked through town back to the castle.

On the way there, Emma shouted from the 2nd floor window of her home, "Princess! Wait a second!" A few moments later, Emma met them outside where she said, "I'm very sorry if I'm interrupting Your Highness, but do you mind if I could talk with you for a few minutes? Alone?"

Cecilia looked over at Rudy and he nodded his approval. "Feel free to eat without me if I take too long," she said to him before he walked on to the castle.

Emma ushered Cecilia into her house in an empty room and closed the door behind them, donning a serious face as she looked at her friend. "Princess, please don't take this the wrong way because I wasn't intentionally peeping on you or anything. I only happened to be looking out my window and noticed you and Rudy out walking." Cecilia was already startled by the direction this conversation was going. Emma continued: "But you and I are such good friends that I hope you'll trust my advice and not think I'm trying to pry into your affairs." She cleared her throat. "So...after seeing how Rudy acts around you, I think it's pretty safe to say that he sees you as more than just a friend." Cecilia was dumbfounded. Not for what Emma was telling her since Cecilia already knew this was true deep down inside, but for bringing it out in the open. "You know that even though Rudy is very brave on the battlefield, he's probably too hapless when it comes to emotions to take the initiative here. He might even be afraid that he'll lose you as a friend if he makes a move and fails. You'll have to take the reigns. So what's stoppin' ya?"

"It's...not like I haven't thought about it..." Cecilia was surprised to hear herself admitting this. Emma was the only one Cecilia trusted enough to give this kind of information to and not have to worry about it becoming tomorrow's gossip. "But it just wouldn't work out between us."

"Why so?" Emma questioned mischievously.

"Because...he's...much too different from me," Cecilia said uncertainly, not even convincing herself of this explanation.

"Are you talking about him having an artificial body?" Emma asked. Cecilia nodded slowly in agreement. Emma closed her eyes and sighed, putting her fingers of one hand up to her eyebrows as if in deep thought. "Princess, pardon me for saying this, but you are _dense_." Cecilia scowled at Emma for this comment. "People are supposed to be different, are they not? And haven't you told me before that Rudy is as human as a human can be in your eyes? I don't know why you would let artificial limbs come in the way of both of your happiness. Especially since you of all people should know that no one gets a choice in how they are born."

These words sunk into Cecilia deep. "I still don't know if I can...look past that part of him," she said in a hushed tone.

"Well, Princess, I've said my piece. It's your decision to make, and like I said, I don't want to pry into your personal life. It's just as a concerned friend that I decided to speak with you about this. I hope I didn't upset Your Highness." It amused Cecilia that even as long as she and Emma have been friends, Emma still would only refer to Cecilia by official, impersonal titles, even though she had asked otherwise. Jack always gave the same reason that Emma gave for doing this-that it would be disrespectful to refer to a princess by her common name. To Cecilia, it just felt like an excuse for them to avoid going against the grain of tradition.

Emma added: "And if you don't snap him up soon...he may not be on the market much longer if I have anything to do with it," she sneered.

"Emma!" Cecilia huffed. She folded her arms. "Honestly!"


	2. Chapter 2

Cecilia thought often about what Emma had said to her. How could Cecilia possibly preach compassion and caring for everyone but still hold this discriminatory feeling toward Rudy? She was a hypocrite. But she resolved to change this part of herself for good-starting now, she would open her heart to him, and hoped Rudy would do the same.

Rudy knocked at the door, ready for the day's study session. He was coming along so nicely that soon he wouldn't need her tutelage anymore and could continue sharpening his reading skills on his own, a landmark that would make her incredibly proud. As always, they sat side-by-side at her desk and Rudy read a passage aloud from a textbook, stopping at a few words here and there that he required assistance with. She patiently explained each word to him.

_I can't believe how lucky I am to have met Rudy, _Cecilia thought. _He truly has changed my life, and all of Filgaia, for the better. I can't imagine how much of a self-absorbed princess I would still be if not for him. But before I tell him, I should make sure..._

Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed Rudy was speaking to her. "...cilia...Hey, Cecilia? Can you help me with this part?"

She was stunned. _In all the years I've known him, he has never called me by my title, but has he ever called me by name, either?_ Cecilia wondered. It warmed her heart in an indescribable way to have someone, unprompted, call her only by her name. "Oh...yes. I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention." After helping him with the passage in question, she knew what she should now do. The only obstacle standing in her way was herself. She needed to gather her courage and trust in her instincts.

As Rudy was reading along with the next passage, Cecilia reached for his left hand and covered it with her own. Rudy looked up from the book over to her, startled. She slowly lifted his hand up and started to remove his fingerless glove. Her heart was beating quickly, afraid of what Rudy's reaction would be. He looked on nervously as she finished pulling it off. She held Rudy's hand with both of her own, feeling his firm, calloused skin with her fingers. The texture brought back memories to her. _These are the hands that have won thousands of battles_ _in his effort to protect the land and people that he loves, even if those people did not always love him back. This is the hand that replaced the one Rudy lost, but at the same time, we almost lost him..._

After a few moments of touching his hand, Cecilia moved it up to the side of her face and held it steady. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, a peaceful look coming over her. Coy and suggestive, she whispered, "Touch me, Rudy."

When she first released his hand, he was too paralyzed to act. Those seconds lasted for hours to Cecilia. She kept her eyes closed so Rudy would hopefully be less nervous. Finally, she felt him move his hand along the side of her blonde hair with a slow, gentle touch. He stroked the side of her face several times, then placed his hand behind her head. What happened next was exactly what Cecilia had longed for. Rudy leaned in and kissed her delicately on the lips. _A true gentleman through and through_, Cecilia mused. She leaned herself in to make it a deeper kiss. It was at this point that she became primal and the many kisses that followed came naturally to her. He followed her lead.

Eventually, she withdrew, a small strip of saliva trailing between their mouths. "I want you," she whispered, peering into his expressive eyes.

Rudy's heart was beating frantically. Although he wanted to, he also needed to make certain that she was prepared for it. "Doesn't the fact that I'm not a human bother you?"

She touched the side of his face tenderly before replying. "You're more human that any humans I know, Rudy. Don't ever say again that you're not a human. It's just not true."

He didn't know if he could love her any more than he did at that moment. After all the turmoil in his short life, he wasn't sure if he could ever truly be happy again, let alone be romantically loved by someone. He lifted her out of her chair and placed her carefully on the bed. Rudy removed his vest, shirt, and other glove, while Cecilia took off the top of her dress, but she was shy to undo her bra. Her cheeks were turning pink to notice Rudy looking at her, waiting. "They're nothing special to look at, I'll have you know," she said matter-of-factly. "Don't get your hopes up, cowboy." She averted her gaze to the side while she removed the bra.

Rudy looked his lover over and made an announcement with sincerity. "You're so beautiful, Cecilia." She felt her heart flutter at these words. A moment later, Rudy was crouched over her, exploring her upper body with his hands and mouth. He paid attention to Cecilia's subdued moans to determine what he should focus on to enhance her pleasure. He worked his way back up to her neck which he covered with kisses and then up to her mouth once again.

"Don't I get a turn now?" Cecilia asked. Rudy complied, flipping onto his back. She noticed many bruises and cuts on his abdomen, so as she worked her way across his well-defined form with her mouth and tongue, she did her best to be extra delicate with those spots. Cecilia couldn't count the number of times in battle that Rudy had selflessly put himself in harm's way to prevent her from being hurt, thus leading to more than his fair share of battle scars. W_ho knows how long he has been wanting for this moment? _she thought. _I can't imagine how much pain I probably caused him by ignoring the fairly obvious signs that he desired me. I only hope that I can make up for it in some small way over time._

Stopping just shy of the top of his jeans, she started to unbuckle and unzip them. It was clear what her intentions were. "H-hold on, Cecilia," Rudy stammered in a low voice. He knew he was turning a bright shade of red right now, on top of his heart beating fast as a jackrabbit. "Can..." He gulped nervously. "Can we possibly save that for another time?"

Cecilia had certainly noticed the effect she was having on him. She shot him a smirk. _Might as well have a little fun with this first_, she figured. "So you've slayed thousands of monsters, yet you can't handle one girl's...stimulation?" She was pleasantly amused to see Rudy's face turn even redder and couldn't help but laugh from it, covering her face with her hand. "I'm sorry! I'll stop teasing you now."

After a few moments to calm his nerves and cool down, Rudy asked the question that was burning on his mind. "Where..." he cleared his throat, "does a princess learn about a thing like _that_?"

"You'd be surprised of the things girls in the Abbey would talk about in the dorms at night when the nuns weren't around." She giggled, then paused a moment. "And, well...maybe I did have a little practice on you during some of my dreams..."

Rudy was flattered by this. He thought that she had only had a sudden change in heart, but apparently she had been thinking about him this way for some time. "Well, are you ready for the main event?" she questioned with one eyebrow raised.

Rudy nodded his head up and down. Once they had taken off the rest of their clothes, Cecilia directed him to partially sit up against the headboard so they could be eye to eye. As she mounted him, she let out a brief cry of pain. "What's the matter?" Rudy asked with much concern in his voice.

"Ah, don't worry about it," she said calmly. "Apparently, it's supposed to hurt the first time." He flinched hearing her say this. _Her first?_ he thought. _Of course, I knew that...but it still means so much to me_.

Cecilia began to thrust herself up and down slowly, gritting her teeth until the pain subsided. Eventually, it began to feel pleasurable, and she took both of Rudy's hands and placed them on her hips, guiding him to help her cavort. She alternated between closing her eyes with her head pointed skyward, to gazing into his loving eyes, to kissing him with passion. Once they were going at full speed, she threw one hand in the air and exclaimed "Yee-haw!", making him laugh.

When they had finished up, Rudy rolled her under him and said confidently, "My turn now."

"Yessir!" she replied excitedly. After he entered her, he reached for both of her hands and held them tight, their fingers intertwined. He listened again for her soft moans to determine how to move about, soon getting into a rhythm. _How have I gotten so lucky_, he thought, _to be able to live in the same world with her, let alone to be in the same bed with her? She and Jack were my friends when no one else was, she did not give up finding another arm for me even against incredible odds, and most of all, she is an extraordinary person both inside and out. Thank the Guardians that I found her in this world that was once so cold and lonely to me._

He snapped out his thoughts as he heard Cecilia speak to him softly, looking him square in the eyes. "Rudy...I love you."

Rudy couldn't contain his euphoria and kissed her fervently, breathlessly. When he came back up for air, he had a smile a mile wide. "Likewise," he said casually. He knew his days as a full-time Dream Chaser were finished. His search was over.

* * *

Cecilia and Rudy were waiting in Adlehyde's castle courtyard for the visitor they had not seen in almost a year. The sun was rapidly setting and every object in the courtyard was casting a long shadow. Although they didn't know exactly what time he would arrive, they were too anxious to wait in the castle. They had received a long-awaited letter several weeks ago that announced his intentions to return.

A tall blonde man was approaching from out in the distance, wearing a rust-colored cowboy hat, a dusty poncho woven with an ornate design, and a knapsack slung across one shoulder. A sheriff star badge over his chest glimmered in the sunshine. His boot spurs clinked against the ground. Rudy and Cecilia almost didn't recognize him for how tan he was now, but the emergence of a small rodent from the knapsack onto his shoulder was a dead giveaway.

"Jack!" Cecilia shouted, tears welling in her eyes. She ran toward him with arms outstretched, embracing him overzealously. But since there was no way she would be able to squeeze a person of his stature hard enough to suffocate him, Jack let her go overboard on the greeting. He owed it to her for being gone so long. Cecilia was struggling to hold back the tears that were not becoming of a leader. Hopefully, if anyone saw this, they would forgive her for this rare moment of weakness and self-indulgence. Hanpan jumped over to Cecilia's shoulder where she couldn't see him, put a paw to his throat and pretended to gag himself, much to Jack and Rudy's amusement. Finally, she let go of Jack and wiped her eyes. "Oh, Hanpan. I missed you too!" she said, stroking his back and behind his ears.

The always subdued Rudy strolled casually over to Jack with his hands in his pockets and a smile from ear to ear. "Hi, Jack."

"How's it goin', Rudy? Heard you've been keeping busy around here lately," Jack said with a suggestive wink.

Rudy missed the double entendre. He replied, "Always busy. The work of restoring Filgaia may never be finished, but we won't give up."

Jack looked over both of them carefully. "I can tell you've both changed a lot over the past year." He smirked. "I always knew you two were perfect for each other. Hell, if you hadn't hooked up before I got back, I was gonna set you two up myself."

Rudy and Cecilia both turned red. Had it really been that obvious to so many other people, too? They guessed it couldn't be helped, seeing how they had such an impact on each others' lives. After all the difficult battles they had been through together and lessons they had learned from each other, they suspected everyone who knew them must have been waiting for their nearly inevitable unification.

"Thanks, Jack. But Emma beat you to it," Cecilia replied with a smirk. "So, you promised to tell me all about your big adventures when you returned. So start talkin'." She nudged him playfully.

"Sure thing. So, I traveled south of Filgaia for about a week until I located the Escondido settlement. It's a whole different world down there. Everyone speaks a whole 'nother language and they live much simpler lives, mostly right off the land. I loved it there because everyone is so hardy and has a take-no-shit kind of attitude. No offense to Filgaians, but Escondido is more my kinda style! If it wasn't to see you guys again, I might've never came back." Rudy and Cecilia were startled to hear this, and it showed on their stunned expressions. Jack continued: "But don't worry, guys. I'll be here in Filgaia for a while to help the restoration effort. I was just exaggerating-I'm _not _going to abandon my homeland. But exploring's in my blood. I've seen pretty much all of Filgaia there is to see. I hope you guys understand that I'm not one to settle down. Even if I ever found a woman I liked, she would have to be willing to travel with me. As long as there's frontier to explore, I want to be there blazing a new trail."

After a brief pause, Cecilia said, "Of course you should follow your heart, Jack. You shouldn't worry about leaving us for any length of time since we have plenty of people that are helping to restore Filgaia. But whenever you choose to come back, we will welcome you with open arms."

"And bruised ribs," Rudy quipped.

Jack and Hanpan cackled at Rudy's unexpected joke. "We've got ourselves a budding comedian here, don't we, Princess?"

Cecilia folded her arms. "I am not amused." She shot a stern look to Rudy, but when she noticed him lightly laughing too, she softened her expression. "OK, I get the picture. Pardon me for being a little too excited to see my friends after a long absence." She was glad to see Rudy lightening up enough that he could crack a joke.

Jack jovially patted Cecilia on the back. "So what are you guys up to these days? Any little ones in your future?" Hanpan facepalmed at hearing this. As soon as Jack uttered the question, he regretted it. He had forgotten about Rudy's artificial body and knew that the question was an insensitive one, but it was too late. Rudy and Cecilia wore tense, worrisome expressions on their faces. "I'm sorry," Jack continued sheepishly. "Forget I asked that. I wasn't thinking."

"No, it's OK," Cecilia said comfortingly. She glanced over at Rudy who nodded at her, so she proceeded to explain. "As you might already have guessed, it's probably impossible for us to have any children. We're still coming to terms with that right now. But eventually, we've agreed that we would like to adopt children. Rudy especially knows the significance of this." She reached for Rudy's hand and held it reassuringly.

"You guys are really somethin'," Hanpan retorted, crossing his furry arms. "Always finding a solution to every problem, every challenge making you stronger. You really make the rest of us look bad."

Everyone got a good laugh out of Hanpan's back-handed compliment. "Well said, Hanpan," replied Jack.

By this time, the sun had fully set and darkness was quickly closing in. "Hey, you guys ready to head inside for the night?" Cecilia asked. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. She led the way back to the castle. However, Jack stood a distance behind them, taking his time. He whistled a familiar tune, a sad yet hopeful one he had whistled many times before. With any luck, he would be whistling it countless times in the future, too.

* * *

Hope y'all enjoyed this story. I dislike when writers spell everything out for you in the romantic scenes. IMO, it's much better to leave some to the reader's imagination. Any reviews are appreciated, even if just to say you liked it/disliked it (but I certainly hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it).


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